Yieldable skipping device



May 11, 1965 H. J. UPDAW 3,182,999

YIELDABLE SKIPPING DEVICE Filed Sept. 18, 1962 INVENTOR. hkI/POLD J UPDAW United States Patent 3,182,999 YIELDABLE SKIPPING DEVICE Harold J. Updaw, 386 Clay Road, Rochester 23, NY. Filed Sept. 18, 1962, Ser. No. 224,414 3 Claims. (Cl. 272-74) This invention relates to exercising and amusement devices, and more particularly to a skipping or jumping device simulating a skip rope.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved exercising and amusement device simulating the action of a skip rope, said device being simple in construction, being easy to operate, and which is useful as an amusement and exercising device for children or for adults desiring to simulate the body movements necessary for jumping with a skip rope.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved exercising and amusement device simulating the action of a skip rope, said device being inexpensive to manufacture, being durable in construction, and being readily adjustable for use by individuals of difierent heights.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view showing a child using an improved exercising and amusement device according to the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view, partly in elevation, of the exercising and amusement device shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken through portions of the exercising and amusement device, namely, the portions adjacent to the connection of the radius arm to the horizontal bar assembly of the amusement and exercising device of FIGURES 1 to 3, the parts being shown in separated positions.

Referring to the drawings, 11 generally designates an improved exercising and amusement device constructed in accordance with the present invention. The device 11 comprises an elongated tubular radius arm 12 which is provided at its top end, as viewed in FIGURE 2, with a cover plug 13. Adjacent to the top end of the radius arm 12, said arm is formed with a plurality of uniformly spaced diametrically opposed pairs of apertures 14, 14. Designated at 15 is a handle assembly, said handle assembly comprising a headed cylindrical blot member 16 provided with a reduced threaded axial stud portion 17 which is engageable through a selected pair of opposing apertures 14, 14 and which is secured thereto by means of .a wing nut 18 threaded on the threaded portion 17. The cylindrical main portion 16 of the bolt is thus clamped against the radius arm 12, when the wing nut 18 is tightened. Rotatably mounted on the headed bolt 16 and held thereon by the head of said bolt is a gripping handle 19 which is used as a means for grasping the device.

Secured in the end of the radius arm 12 opposite the plug 13 is an internally threaded sleeve 20 in which is threadedly engaged a headed bolt 21. The bolt 21 passes through a circular disc 22, a coiled spring 23 and the centrally apertured circular end portion 24 of a horizontal rod assembly sleeve 25. The sleeve 25 is internally threaded to adjustably receive the externally threaded rod member 26 provided at its outer end with a protective guard ball 27. As will be apparent from FIGURE 2, the headed bolt 21acts as a retaining means for the circular disc 22 to resist the force of the compressed coil spring 23, which bears on the circular end portion 24,

resiliently clamping said end portion 24 against the end I of the radius arm 12. While the spring develops substantial clamping force, the horizontal bar assembly 25 is held against rotation relative to the radius arm 12 merely by friction and is yieldable.

A protective cap 30 is tightly engaged on the circular disc 22, covering the head of bolt 21 and the coiled spring 23 as well as the circular washer 22 which fits tightly in the cap, holding the cap in position, as shown in FIGURE 2.

As will be readily apparent, the rod 26 may be extended outwardly from the sleeve 25 to any desired adjusted position merely by rotating the rod in the sleeve. The effective length of the radius arm 12 may also be readily adjusted by engaging the studs 17 in any of the longitudinally spaced pairs of diametrically opposed apertures 14, 1.4 of the tubular radius arm 12. Thus, the device may be easily adjusted in accordance with the physical size of the user.

In using the device, the handle 15 is grasped, the device being thus freely rotatable around the axis of the handle bolt 16. The user rotates the radius arm by causing the handle to move through a circular or elliptical path, as diagrammatically illustrated in FIGURE 1, for example, by moving the handle assembly through a vertical elliptical path, causing the radius arm 12 to rotate around the axis of the handle bolt 16, whereby the horizontal bar assembly including the sleeve 25 and the rod 26 likewise rotate through a circular path around the axis of the handle bolt. trated in FIGURE 1, namely, in a manner such that the horizontal bar assembly comprising sleeve 25 and bolt 26 will swing downwardly toward the operator, the operator jumps as the horizontal bar assembly swings beneath him, in the manner of a skip rope. In the event that the operators timing is incorrect, whereby the horizontal bar assembly may strike against his legs, the operator will not be injured, since the horizontal bar assembly is readily yieldable and can rotate readily around the axis of the radius arm assembly 12, since it is merely held against the end of the radius arm by the resilient clamping pressure developed in the spring 23. The degree of yieldability of the horizontal bar assembly may be regulated by adjusting the bolt 21 to regulate the tension developed in the clamping spring 23.

While a specific embodiment of an improved exercising and amusement device has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An exercising and amusement device simulating a skip rope comprising an elongated radius arm, a handle connected to one end portion of said arm, a horizontal bar assembly adjacent the opposite end portion of said radius arm, means rotatably connecting said horizontal bar assembly to said opposite end portion, and spring means holding said horizontal bar assembly in frictional engagement with said radius arm and in perpendicular relation thereto, said spring means being yieldable to at times allow the horizontal bar assembly to rotate relative to said radius arm.

2. An exercising and amusement device simulating a skip rope comprising an elongated radius arm, a handle rotatably secured to one end portion of said arm and extending perpendicularly thereto, a horizontal bar assembly disposed adjacent to the opposite end portion of said radius arm, means rotatably connecting said horizontal bar assembly to said opposite end portion, and means supporting said horizontal bar assembly substantially in With the device held in the manner illus-"' perpendicular relationship to said radius arm and normally preventing rotation of the horizontal bar assembly, said last-named means being yieldable to allow the horizontal bar assembly to rotate relative to the radius arm to prevent injury to the user when struck thereby.

3. An exercising and amusement device simulating a skip rope comprising an elongated radius arm, a handle extending perpendicularly to one end portion of said arm, means to rotatably secure said handle to said one end portion at a selected position on said one end portion, a horizontal sleeve member adjacent the other end portion of said radius arm, means rotatably connecting said sleeve member to said other end portion, means supporting said sleeve member substantially in perpendicular relationship to said radius arm and normally preventing rotation of the sleeve member relative to the radius arm,

said last-named means being yieldable at times to allow such rotation to prevent injury to the user, and an adjustable rod element threadedly engaged in and projecting from the end of said horizontal sleeve member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,505,473 8/24 Klubnick 27274 2,995,370 8/61 Deskins 27274 3,023,000 2/62 Hess 27274 3,104,104 9/63 Wood 27274 FOREIGN PATENTS 383,927 11/23 Germany.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN EXERCISING AND AMUSEMENT DEVICE SIMULATING A SKIP ROPE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED RADIUS ARM, A HANDLE CONNECTED TO ONE END PORTION OF SAID ARM, A HORIZONTAL BAR ASSEMBLY ADJACENT THE OPPOSITE END PORTION OF SAID RADIUS ARM, MEANS ROTATABLY CONNECTING SAID HORIZONTAL BAR ASSEMBLY TO SAID OPPOSITE END PORTION, AND SPRING MEANS HOLDING SAID HORIZONTAL BAR ASSEMBLY IN FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID RADIUS ARM AND IN PERPENDICULAR RELATION THERETO, SAID SPRING MEANS BEING YIELDABLE TO AT TIMES ALLOW THE HORIZONTAL BAR ASSEMBLY TO ROTATE RELATIVE TO SAID RADIUS ARM. 